[1.CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:07]
5:30 P.M. ON AUGUST 20TH. WE WILL CALL THE TOWN NORTH LAKE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING TO ORDER.
ALL COUNCILORS ARE HERE AND ACCOUNTED FOR EVERYBODY'S PRESENT. HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS EVENING? TRYING TO STAY COOL. IT'S A CHALLENGE. YES. WELCOME. TONIGHT? YEAH. ALRIGHT. WE MAKE OUR BEGINNING. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. LORD GOD, HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK YOUR BLESSING ON THE DISCUSSIONS THAT THEY WOULD BE ROBUST AND RESPECTFUL. THAT YOU WOULD GIVE WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT OF HOW TO NAVIGATE AND SHEPHERD. WHAT A GREAT COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE AND TO PROVIDE SAFETY AND PROSPERITY. AND LORD, THAT THERE WOULD BE CONTINUED GROWTH IN THE RIGHT WAY. AND WE ASK YOUR BLESSING ON ALL THAT IS DISCUSSED THIS EVENING. IN JESUS NAME. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PLEASE STAND FOR OUR PLEDGES.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE. TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
[2.A.Reports and Updates from the Mayor and Town Councilmembers Concerning Items of Community Interest (if necessary)]
ALRIGHT, COUNCILORS, I KNOW WE ARE JUST HERE A WEEK AGO, BUT DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY UPDATES FOR THE RESIDENTS OR ANYTHING THAT WAS EXCITING IN THE PAST SEVEN DAYS? NO, I DON'T THINK WE HAD ANY RIBBON CUTTINGS IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS EITHER. SO I KIND OF TAKES THAT OUT OF PLAY. BUT. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. IF THERE'S NOTHING THERE, WE'LL MOVE ON AND WE WILL START AS[2.B.Briefing - Fireworks Update ]
MR. COLEMAN COMING UP. YEAH. CAPTAIN COLEMAN IS JUST GOING TO PRESENT THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU REQUESTED, AND THEN GET OUT OF THE WAY AND LET YOU ALL FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. GOOD EVENING, GOOD EVENING, GOOD EVENING, OUR TOWN MANAGER, EVERYBODY IN ATTENDANCE AND LISTENING. WE WILL START OFF WITH HOW DID WE GET HERE. SO LET'S LOOK AT FROM JANUARY 1999 WE HAD THE TOWN ORDINANCES CREATED ALLOWING FOR FIREWORKS TO BE PERMITTED. WE CAN GO DOWN TO 2005, WHERE THE CONSULTANT WAS HIRED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES. 2006 WHERE THE DISCUSSION WAS THE BURN BAN, USE OF FIREWORKS 2018 CONSIDER AMENDING THE ORDINANCE ALLOWING DETONATION IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. JULY 4TH, THE NEW YEAR'S EVE, AND THEN 22, WHERE WE CONSIDERED APPROVING THE ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT THE DETONATION OF FIREWORKS IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. SEPTEMBER 2022. CONSIDER AMENDING THE ORDINANCE PROHIBITING FIREWORKS IN THE ETJ AND DISCUSS THEIR SEVERE ABILITY OF CAUSE SAVINGS AND PENALTY. REGARDING THIS THIS ACTIVITY. AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN SEE IN YOUR NOTES IT DID NOT PASS. AND THEN JANUARY 2023, AMENDING THE ORDINANCES, DECLARING FIREWORKS A NUISANCE IN THE TOWN AND PROHIBITING DETONATION. AND THEN AUGUST OF 2023, FIREWORKS UPDATE. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, JULY 2026, YOU'VE REQUESTED A UPDATE, WHICH WE ARE HERE. AND AS OF TODAY, THE ORDINANCE UPDATE, WHICH CURRENTLY NOW IS IF PERSONS OBTAIN A PERMIT AND GET IT APPROVED BY ADHERING TO WHAT THE PERMIT REQUIRES AND IT'S APPROVED. SO LET'S LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. ALL OTHER CALLS VERSUS FIREWORK CALLS. THESE ARE THE NUMBERS STARTING IN 2018. OTHER CALLS WERE 33 AND THREE HAD THREE FIREWORKS. CALL 1819. YOU YOU WENT UP TO IN THE FIREWORKS CALLS. BUT DOWN IN THE CALL LOAD 20. WHEN I GOT HERE, YOU HAD 49 OTHER CALLS AND 12 FIREWORKS CALLS, 20, 21, 63 AND 18. AND THEN AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S THE FIREWORKS CALLS AND ARE STARTING TO TREND UP TO 2022. BUT THEN THE CALL LOAD ACTUALLY DROPPED. BUT THE WE'LL SEE IN A MINUTE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM A PERCENTAGE STANDPOINT. THIS IS THE WEEKEND OF 4TH OF JULY, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT SHARING THAT THIS WOULD BE JULY 3RD, FOURTH AND FIFTH THOSE THREE DAYS, AND IT WOULD BE FOR ALL THREE OF THOSE FOR ALL THOSE YEARS, NOT ALL THREE, BUT THOSE THREE DAYS. AND THEN 2024, EXCUSE ME, 2023. WE'RE 736 FIREWORKS CALLS, 24, 244 CALLS, 19 FIREWORKS CALLS. 2025 269 FIREWORKS CALLS WERE AT 16. AND THEN OF COURSE, THIS YEAR WE WERE AT 387 CALLS TOTAL, WITH 25 OF THOSE BEING FIREWORKS. LET'S LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGES FROM A PERCENTAGE STANDPOINT. YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 18 IT WAS 91% OF OUR CALLS. AS FAR AS OTHER CALLS, EXCUSE ME,[00:05:01]
9% WAS OUR FIREWORKS CALLS. IT BEGAN TRENDING UPWARDS 13%, 20%, 24%, 2020, 21%, 21. AND THEN IN 22, IT WAS AT 42% OF THE TOTAL CALLS. 23. IT DROPPED BACK TO EIGHT. AND IT WAS PRETTY CONSISTENT IN 23 AT 8%, 24 AND 8%, 25 AT 8%, AND THEN 26 AT 6%. AND THAT WAS EVEN WITH THE 250 YEAR CELEBRATION, IT STILL TRENDED DOWN AS FAR AS PERCENTAGES OF CALLS, 94% WERE THE OTHER CALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT OFFICERS WERE ANSWERING. SO WHERE WERE THESE CALLS? IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY AREAS OR NEIGHBORHOODS. YOU CAN SEE BY THE GRAPH THE LION'S SHARE OF THOSE CALLS AT 13 WAS IN HARVEST. THEN NEXT YOU HAD CANYON FALLS AT THREE, THE RIDGE AT THREE, PECAN SQUARE AT TWO, AND STARDUST RANCH AT ONE DISH AT ONE AND THEN OTHER, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN AREAS THAT WERE REPORTED BUT WERE FOUND TO NOT BE INSIDE OUR TOWN OR INSIDE OUR ETJ. SO WHAT ARE THESE FIREWORKS? THERE ARE TWO TYPES. YOU HAVE THE GROUND FIREWORKS VERSUS THE AERIAL FIREWORKS, GROUND FIREWORKS DESIGNED TO STAY LOW AT EYE LEVEL, TO BE TO SHOOT SPARKS UPWARDS. SPIN. THEY'LL CRACKLE, SURFACE CRACKLE ON THE SURFACE, BUT THEY'RE MAINLY DESIGNED TO BE ON THE GROUND. BE OBSERVED FOR THE MOST VISIBLE VISUAL EFFECT. EXAMPLES ARE YOUR FOUNTAINS, YOUR SPARKLERS, SMOKE BALLS, GROUND SPINNERS, FIRECRACKERS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE, LIKE I SAID, LOW TO THE GROUND. THEY'RE NOT DESIGNED TO BE UP IN THE SKY. YOUR SECOND TYPE IS YOUR AERIAL FIREWORKS. AND BEAR WITH ME, THIS IS JUST A LAYMAN'S FROM, YOU KNOW, NOT AN EXPERT, JUST A REGULAR, YOU KNOW, REGULAR PERSON. BUT BOTTOM LINE IS AERIAL FIREWORKS ARE ARE DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE THAT THEY'RE PROPELLED AND GO STRAIGHT UP. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DESIGNED TO DO SO THAT YOU CAN GET THE MOST VISUAL EFFECT ABOVE YOUR HEAD.THEY'LL UTILIZE TUBES, MULTI SHOCK SHOCK BLOCKS, LIKE A, BASICALLY LIKE A CYLINDER WHERE YOU CAN LINE THEM UP TO PROPEL THEM UP INTO THE SKY. AND THAT WAY THEY EXPLODE OVERHEAD.
THEY'RE DESIGNED TO AGAIN HAVE THE MAXIMUM EFFECT OF SOUND AND VISUAL VISUALS IN THE AIR ABOVE YOU. SOME EXAMPLES OF THOSE YOUR ARTILLERY, MORTAR SHELLS, THE TYPES OF BIG ONES THAT ARE THAT ARE PUT ON BY PROFESSIONAL, PROFESSIONAL COMPANIES. YOU HAVE YOUR CAKES, WHICH CLUSTERED, FOCUSED, SEQUENCED FIREWORKS. THEY'RE SET OUT WITH WITH DIFFERENT LITTLE, LITTLE, LITTLE SEQUENCES, FUZES, THAT ALLOW THEM TO GO OFF IN CERTAIN ORDERS AND HAVE CERTAIN VISUAL EFFECTS. AND THEN YOUR ROMAN CANDLES AND YOUR BOTTLE ROCKETS. AND SO THAT'S THE EXTENT OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, WITH, WITH FIREWORKS. THAT'S YOUR BRIEFING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ATTENTION. THANK YOU. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD ASKED JUST TO BRING EVERYBODY BACK TOGETHER WAS THAT WE GET SOME DEFINITIONS ON GROUND VERSUS AERIAL, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE POINTS OF TALK BEFORE HE WALKS AWAY. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM OR ANY I DO. SURE. ON THE CALLS. WHAT KIND OF CALLS DO YOU COULD YOU TELL US WHAT KIND OF CALLS THAT WERE MADE? WERE THEY NUISANCE CALLS? WERE THEY CALLS FOR FIRES? WERE THEY CALLS FOR JUST TIME OF DAY? MOSTLY WE'RE A MYRIAD OF YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ALCOHOL RELATED CALLS, DOMESTIC DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THOSE KINDS OF CALLS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE HOLIDAY. EITHER COULD YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE ALCOHOL RELATED. WE HAVE SOME CONGREGATING OF LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE LIKE DOWN AT THE HOTELS AND THINGS. SO YOU MAY GET A DISTURBANCE CALLS FROM THOSE. YOU MAY HAVE SOMEONE CALLING IN DWI OR, YOU KNOW, DRIVING BEHAVIORS. SO MOST OF THOSE ARE THE REGULAR KIND OF, I DON'T WANT TO SAY REGULAR KIND OF CALLS, BUT THE CALLS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HOLIDAYS, BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FIREWORK CALLS WHERE WE SEPARATE THE CALLS. THOSE ARE SEPARATE. ARE THEY FOR FIREWORKS SPECIFICALLY? WERE THEY NUISANCE CALLS? MAYBE THEY'RE LIGHTING THEM OFF AT CERTAIN TIMES OF DAY WHEN THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO. WERE THEY LIGHT WHERE THEY BECAUSE OF FIRES THAT WERE SET OFF BY FIRE? OH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME. I APOLOGIZE FOR MISUNDERSTANDING. NUISANCE? MOST OF THEM, YES, WERE NUISANCE CALLS. IT WAS. PEOPLE ARE OUT FAR. I HEAR FIREWORKS OR THEY'RE DISTURBING MY MY DOG. THOSE KINDS OF CALLS. YES, SIR.
SO IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT, I GUESS FROM YOUR CHART, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE CALLS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS OR SO HAS TAPERED OFF. I GUESS IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT IT'S TAPERED OFF BECAUSE OF OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR PERMITS AND INSURANCE ARE PROBABLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY USING THESE THINGS CALL FOR SPECULATION, BUT GIVEN THE GROWTH IN THE CALL LOAD AND THE NON COMMISERATE GROWTH WITH THE FIREWORKS, YOU COULD DEFINITELY
[00:10:08]
MAKE THAT ASSUMPTION THAT THE NUMBER. THAT'S THE ONE I WAS GOING TO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SAY THE SAME THING. THE NUMBERS. YEAH. THEY REALLY HAVEN'T. THE AMOUNT OF OTHER CALLS HAVE CHANGED. YEAH. BUT THE FIREWORKS ONLY CALLS LOOK LIKE THEY STAY PRETTY. I MEAN, BECAUSE I STARTED TO BE ON THE FENCE THE LAST TIME THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I KIND OF FELT LIKE THERE'S ENOUGH RULES THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER EXTRA SET OF RULES.AND THAT THEN SEEING THAT SO MANY OF THE CALLS ARE FROM THE AREAS THAT HAVE HOAS THAT ALREADY DON'T ALLOW THE RULES. I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE IT HASN'T EVEN HARDLY CHANGED THAT MUCH.
I THINK WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS TOO, THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER AS FAR AS LIKE WEEKEND TIME OF YEAR. YES. YOU KNOW, LIKE I KNOW OBVIOUSLY 2021 WAS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF YEAR AND 2022 VERSUS 2026. SO I THINK THERE'S MORE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION. WHAT YEAR DID WE ALL GET FIREWORK CRAZY AFTER WE WERE FREE FROM COVID 22? YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S THE SAME YEAR IT GOT CHANGED, I BELIEVE, AND THAT THAT FELT LIKE A BIG, BIG FIREWORK YEAR. AND IT ONE. YES, SIR. ABSOLUTELY. WE WENT BACK TO THE NOT ALLOWING NON PERMITTED OR ONLY HAVING PERMITTED FIREWORKS IN 2018 TO 2022 WAS WHEN WE WENT TO ALLOWING NON PERMITTED FIREWORKS ON JULY 4TH AND NEW YEAR'S EVE. AND THIS IS JUST A JULY 4TH TIME FRAME HERE IS IT.
WOULD YOU DO YOU KIND OF NOT I DON'T WANT YOU TO. THIS IS YOU'RE GOING TO SPECULATE. DO YOU THINK THE NUMBERS LOOK SIMILAR FOR. OR DO YOU THINK THE NUMBERS PROBABLY FEEL SIMILAR FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE OR 4TH OF JULY? REALLY THE CRUX OF IT, 4TH OF JULY USUALLY IS BUSIER BECAUSE OF THE HEAT. SO YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE OUT OUTSIDE, OUT AND ABOUT. YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A COLD NEW YEAR'S EVE, YOU DON'T HAVE NEAR THE PEOPLE OUT, YOU DON'T HAVE NEAR THE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION. SO THAT'S JUST MY EXPERIENCE. IT'S NOT WHEN WE WANT TO GET EXPLOSION CRAZY. COULD YOU COULD YOU GO BACK AGAIN TO THE SLIDE BEFORE THAT? WHICH. WHICH ONE SIR. THE ONE RIGHT BEFORE THIS ONE NUMBERS. THE NUMBERS. OOPS. WRONG WAY. YES, SIR. I YOU COULD ALMOST MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT THE NUMBERS ACTUALLY BESIDES 2023 HAVE GOTTEN WORSE AFTER FOR FIREWORKS. CAUSE SPECIFICALLY JUST FOR FIREWORKS. CAUSE AFTER THE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED TO TO BAN THEM. SO IT'S ALMOST THE HIGHEST ONE ON HERE WAS 25, THE NEXT HIGHEST WAS 20. AND THAT WAS IN 2022, WHEN WE WERE COMING OUT OF THAT PANDEMIC.
POPULATION DRASTICALLY INCREASED AS WELL THOUGH. SO YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO GET MORE CALLS. IT MIGHT BE THE SAME CALLS ON THE SAME LAUNCH OR EVER SINCE 2018 COULD JUST BE THE SAME PEOPLE CALLING EVERY SINGLE YEAR. YEAH. THIS IS THIS IS A TIME FOR US TO TALK AMONGST THE SEVEN OF US, RIGHT? YES. TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE. YEAH. SO WE, WE GAVE STAFF DIRECTION TO BRING BACK BECAUSE THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONSENSUS ABOUT AERIAL VERSUS GROUND, YOU KNOW, GIVEN LETTING PEOPLE HAVE SOME FUN, KEEP THE BIG STUFF TO THE, THE PROS, AS WAS MENTIONED HERE. SO THEY CAME BACK WITH JUST SOME DETAILED CALL CALL WORK. THEY CAME BACK WITH WHAT KIND OF DEFINES GROUND VERSUS AERIAL. AND THE REASON THAT WE'RE NOT JUST CONSIDERING THIS AT THIS MEETING OR LAST IS WE NEED TO STILL HAVE A DRAFT OF THE ORDINANCE, BE IT CHANGE, NO CHANGE OR A MODERATE MIDDLE GROUND SOMEWHERE. YEAH. SO STAFF CAN'T WRITE THAT ORDINANCE. AND DEAN CERTAINLY CANNOT WRITE THAT ORDINANCE WITHOUT A CLEAR DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL. SO WE CAN TAKE ACTION IF WE CHOOSE TO TAKE ACTION.
ALSO LOOKING AT SORRY, LOOKING AT 2026, THAT WAS THE YEAR WE DID NOT HAVE A SHOW NEARBY IN OUR AREA ALSO. SO THERE'S THAT TO CONSIDER WHEN WE'RE SPECULATING ON ON THE WIRES.
YEAH. CORRECT. AND THE TOWN WAS RESIDENTS WERE GENERALLY DISAPPOINTED. THERE WAS NO SHOW.
RIGHT. SO START START TAKING DIRECTION. I THINK EVERYBODY JUST KIND OF TAKE A TURN. WE'LL GO DOWN THE DAIS AND THEN SEE WHERE WE END UP AFTER THAT. JOSH, DO YOU WANT TO START US OFF TODAY? I DON'T WANT TO START FROM THE SAME SIDE EVERY TIME. SO I MEAN, LOOKING AT THE I MEAN, I THINK WHERE WE WERE AT A GOOD SPOT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK JUST A WIDE OPEN NO MATTER WHAT LIKE MAKES SENSE. BUT I THINK GOING BACK AND JUST EVEN ROLLING BACK JUST THE LAST,
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THE LAST ORDINANCE AND KEEPING IT WHERE THERE'S A BURN BAN MAKES SENSE. I MEAN, IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S A BURN BAN IN PLACE, IT IS STUPID TO ALLOW SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO GO FORWARD. AND WITH THE ONLY. AND SO FROM MY OPINION ON IT, WITH THE ONLY CHANGE FROM THAT IS IT NOT JUST ON ONE SPECIFIC DAY, BUT RATHER THAN A A WINDOW OF DAYS SURROUNDING THOSE DAYS. SO BECAUSE 4TH OF JULY DOESN'T ALWAYS FOLLOW FALL ON A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO IT ONE, IT, IT POTENTIALLY PUSHES PEOPLE TO DO SOME OF THESE MORE, SOME, SOME OF THIS ON POTENTIAL WORK NIGHTS WHEN MOST PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY BE CELEBRATING. AND ON A FRIDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO THOSE WOULD BE THE TWO. THOSE WOULD BE MY TWO AREAS THAT I, I THINK ONE IS KEEPING THAT BURN BAN AND TWO IS ALLOWING THAT WINDOW.I DON'T NECESSARILY SUPPORT THE DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN AERIAL VERSUS GROUND. ALL RIGHT. SO BRACKET OF DAYS BURN BAN STILL DETERMINES WHICH I THINK WE CAN'T OVERRULE THAT ANYWAYS. IF A BURN BANS THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF DENTON COUNTY WOULD. I KNOW WHEN THE COUNTY JUDGE DECLARES A BURN BAN IT'S NOT ALLOWED IN THE COUNTY. OKAY, WE'LL FIND OUT IF THAT OVERRULES LOCAL ORDINANCE, BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL WOULD SAY, IF THERE'S A BURN BAN, LET'S LET'S LIGHT THEM UP. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. SO WE CAN TAKE THAT OUT OF THE EQUATION.
WE FOLLOW THE COUNTY'S. YEAH. FOLLOW THE BURN BANS. OKAY. SO BRACKETED DAYS AND NO DIFFERENTIATION ON TYPES. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. PROSCIUTTO. MR. SESSIONS. BUT IF I WEREN'T GOING TO LEAVE IT ALONE, I WOULD, I WOULD EVERY DAY FOR FIVE DAYS BECAUSE SOMEBODY GET TO SHOOT THEM A FEW HOURS FOR THEM AND SHOOT ON NOVEMBER. OR MIGHT EVEN HEAR. ALL RIGHT. SO LEAVE IT ALONE OR WIDE OPEN. OKAY, SO JUST TO CLARIFY MY SIDE, MY POINT OF THE DATES ON THAT, IF YOU WERE GOING TO PUT DATES AROUND IT, THAT'S WHERE BRACKET IT PUT A BRACKET. BUT I WOULD AGREE WITH, WITH IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT, THEN NO DATES WOULD BE AGAIN, THE LESS THAT WE HAVE ON THESE CERTAIN RULES LIKE THIS, THE BETTER WITH REASON AND BEING SMART. SO.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. YES, I SUPPORT JULY 4TH OR THE SURROUNDING DAYS AROUND THAT.
I'M I'M NOT OPEN TO JUST DOING IT ANYTIME OF THE YEAR AND OBVIOUSLY FOLLOWING THE BURN BAN. AND I WOULD ALSO SUPPORT THE ALLOWING THE GROUND FIREWORKS AND NOT THE AERIAL.
OKAY. I'LL I'LL SKIP TO THE END HERE. I WANT TO HEAR EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTS FIRST BEFORE I TALK. MR. FOWLER. YEAH. PRETTY OPEN. I, I WAS SUPPORT IT'S OBVIOUSLY IN SUPPORT OF FIREWORKS SPECIFICALLY FOR NEW YEAR'S AND JULY 4TH. AS FAR AS BRACKETING DAYS, I'M FINE WITH THAT. I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THREE DAYS OF FIREWORKS IF WE WANT TO DO THEM, KEEP THEM TO THE WEEKENDS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DO GOT TO GO WORK DURING THE WEEKDAYS AND TIMEFRAMES AS FAR AS AERIAL VERSUS GROUND. I WON'T I WON'T DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TWO.
I'D RATHER JUST, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT DIFFERENTIATE, DO YOU HAVE NO PREFERENCE OR NO, I'M, I'M OPEN TO THAT. I. STRAIGHT UP I THINK. THE TYPE OF COMMUNITIES YOU LIVE IN AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS IN THAT TO NOT TO INTERRUPT, BUT TO HELP CLARIFY THAT. DEAN, HAVE WE DETERMINED IF WE ARE, WE COULDN'T DO IT ON LOT SIZE BECAUSE THERE WAS A. THAT'S CONSIDERED DISCRIMINATION IS. I BELIEVE THAT WE DID DETERMINE. BUT PLEASE CLARIFY IF WE ARE ALLOWED TO SET ANY. YOU CAN'T LAUNCH SOMETHING WITHIN SIX FEET OF SOMEBODY ELSE'S HOUSE OR IF THERE'S A DISTANCE, A CLEAR DISTANCE FOR LAUNCHING. IF THAT COULD BE AN ORDINANCE LEGALLY. YES. SO YES, YOU COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. TOWN COUNCIL GETS TO DECLARE NUISANCE AND DEFINE WHAT THE NUISANCE IS UNDER STATE LAW. OKAY. SO YOU WE COULD SET SOME SORT OF RATE. THERE MUST BE A CLEAR ZONE OF X FEET. SURE. OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. SO THAT. YEAH, THAT GOES TO YOUR COMMUNITY'S STATEMENT. I'LL CONTINUE BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE LARGER COMMUNITIES ARE THE ONES THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN ISSUE WITH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. GANZ.
[00:20:11]
WELL, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, THERE'S DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A CLAMOR THROUGHOUT THE TOWN FOR FIREWORKS. THIS IS COMING FROM ONE SUBDIVISION WITH A VOCAL MINORITY THAT WANT TO HAVE FIREWORKS. NOW, THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS THOSE OF US WITH PASTURES AND LIVESTOCK. HOW WIDE IS OLD JUSTIN ROAD? 20FT. MAYBE FACTOR IN BARRED DITCHES. WE HAVE PASTURES AND LIVESTOCK NO MORE THAN 75FT FROM PRAIRIE VIEW. AND WE ALL KNOW IN THE SUMMERTIME, WINDS ARE OUT OF THE SOUTH, BLOWS TO THE NORTH, AND ALL THESE ACREAGE LOTS WITH ACRES AND LIVESTOCK IS NORTH OF PRAIRIE VIEW. SO THOSE OF US IN THAT AREA, WE'RE WITHIN 50 TO 75FT OF THESE AERIAL FIREWORKS.SO I'M OPPOSED TO CHANGING IT. AND IF I HAD TO DIFFERENTIATE, I WOULD GET RID OF THE AERIALS IN CERTAIN AREAS BECAUSE OF THE FIRE RISK AND THE RISK TO LIVESTOCK AS WELL. SO I WOULD KEEP THE ORDINANCE AS IS, BUT I WOULD ALSO GET RID OF THE AERIALS PEOPLE WANT TO. IF IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PEOPLE ENTERTAINING THEIR CHILDREN, THEY CAN TAKE THEM TO THE SHOWS UP AT HILLTOP. I MEAN, OKAY, CAN I ASK YOU TO EXPAND YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS? PASSED, PASSED THE RURAL AND, YOU KNOW, JUST GENERAL COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE GOT 15, 16,000 RESIDENTS. SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANYTHING TO ADD PAST THE VERY RURAL AREA. WELL, WHAT I, WHAT I LED OFF WITH OF I'M NOT HEARING A BIG CLAMOR FROM THROUGHOUT THE TOWN FOR FIREWORKS. THIS ONLY CAME UP A FEW WEEKS AGO FROM ONE PARTICULAR AREA AND THAT WAS IT. BUT I WOULD STAY WITH KEEP THE ORDINANCE AS IS AND IF SOMEHOW DIFFERENTIATE, GET RID OF THE AERIALS AND PEOPLE CAN HAVE THEIR FUN IN THEIR BACKYARDS AND NO HARM, NO FOUL. OKAY, SO I HAVE YOU DOWN FOR CHANGING THE ORDINANCE OR NOT. THAT WILL COME TO A VOTE AGAINST CHANGING IT. AND THEN. BUT IF IT WERE TO GO LIVE GROUND WOULD BE A PREFERENCE OVER AERIAL. YES. ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M SUMMARIZING EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTS PROPERLY SO WE CAN GET A CONSENSUS FOR STAFF. MISS HOLMES, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION BEFORE I SAY WHAT I THINK. WHENEVER THE ORDINANCE CHANGED TO WHAT IT IS NOW AND INCLUDED THE ET ETJ, DID IT INCLUDE THE ETJ BECAUSE WE SPECIFIED THAT, OR IS IT BY NATURE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S A NUISANCE OR NO. YEAH. WELL, REMEMBER BEFORE 2018 IT WASN'T ALLOWED. AND THEN FOR FOUR YEARS IT WAS. BUT WE WERE HAVING PROBLEM WITH RESIDENTS IN THE ETJ. AND YOU SAW FROM THE GRAPH THERE THE THERE THE PERCENTAGE WISE THERE, THE THE LARGEST GROUP THAT IS DOING THAT. AND SO WORKING WITH OUR ATTORNEYS AND DEAN CAN JUMP IN. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ENFORCE NUISANCES OUTSIDE 5000FT OUTSIDE OUR TOWN LIMITS. BUT BECAUSE WE ALLOWED FIREWORKS FROM 2018 TO 2022, WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THAT OPTION WHEN WE WENT BACK TO 2022 AND DECLARED A NUISANCE. WE THEN WERE ABLE TO ENFORCE IT 5000FT, SO WE ALLOWED WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ABOUT SOME OF THE NUANCES AND THE POTENTIAL LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF MY THINGS IS IF HARVEST IS THE PROBLEM, CAN AND WE DON'T. AND THEY'RE NOT IN NORTH LAKE AND WE ALREADY LIKE A LITTLE BIT SUBSIDIZE THEIR POLICE COVERAGE.
ARE WE ALLOWED TO SAY HARVEST CAN'T HAVE. NO, IF IF WE DO NOT HAVE IF WE ALLOW, I'LL JUST BLANKET THIS WIDELY RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE GET TO NUANCE. IF WE ALLOW FIREWORKS ON ANY GIVEN DAY, THEY ARE NOT A NUISANCE. OKAY? WE CANNOT DECLARE NUISANCE DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF DAY OR A A DAYS OF THE WEEK, ETC. SO YOU CAN'T MAKE A ONE EXCEPTION AND STILL KEEP NUISANCE IN PLACE. IF IT'S GOOD FOR ONE DAY IN NORTH LAKE, IT'S GOOD FOR 365 IN THE ETJ. OKAY, SO IS THAT SAFE ENOUGH UNTIL WE GO INTO LEGAL? SURE. OKAY, SO THEN MY FEELING WOULD BE ON 4TH OF JULY AND NEW YEAR'S EVE. WE HAVE FIREWORKS. NO DELINEATION. OR BECAUSE I JUST THINK WE'LL OVERCOMPLICATE IT IF WE DELINEATE BETWEEN GROUND AND AERIAL. SO WE HAVE TWO DAYS, 224 HOUR PERIODS A YEAR WHERE THEY CAN DO FIREWORKS ALSO, SO THAT OUR POLICE AND FIRE CAN
[00:25:04]
EXPECT, YOU KNOW, KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE BULK OF THE RESPONSES. AND THEN. KEEP IT AS A, OH, WE CAN'T DO A NUISANCE. BUT THAT WHAT HOWEVER YOU DO IT FOR THE ATTORNEYS. OKAY. SO WOULD YOU SPECIFY A DAY OR IT WOULD JUST ALWAYS BE THE FOURTH AND THE FIRST. I THINK WHAT I REALLY WANT TO SEE IS WHAT SIMILAR ORDINANCES FOR TOWNS THAT ALLOW FIREWORKS, WHAT DO THEIR ORDINANCES LOOK LIKE THAT WHEN THERE ARE NO OTHER TOWNS IN NORTH TEXAS THAT ALLOW NON-PERMITTED FIREWORKS? YEAH, AND HE'S ACCURATE. I MEAN, I MADE THAT STATEMENT BEFORE, AND I THINK ONE OF THE WAYS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FIRE AND POLICE MAY NOT LOVE IT, ONE OF THE WAYS TO PROTECT NEIGHBORS THAT ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER, LIKE SOME HOMES IN PECAN SQUARE, SOME HOMES IN HARVEST, WHICH THEY SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT.THAT'S MY THAT'S THE WE CAN'T ENFORCE HOA. OH YEAH. WE HAVE NO LEGAL OVERSIGHT OF HOA RULES.
AND HOA DOES NOT ENFORCE AT ALL. YEAH. SO ONE, ONE OF THE METHODS, WHICH IS WHERE WE KIND OF GOT TO LAST TIME WAS GROUND STUFF, YOU KNOW, FOUNTAINS AND SPARKLERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT'S WHERE THEY CARRY PERSONAL, PERSONAL DANGER. THEY DON'T NECESSARILY RISK TO BURN DOWN THE NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. YEAH. SO, AND YOU CAN ENJOY THAT. AND IF YOU WANT THE BIG SHOW, GO TO HILLTOP. BUT IF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AERIALS IN THE PLACE LIKE PECAN SQUARE, THAT'S VERY DANGEROUS. AND I THINK MOST COUNCILORS HERE WOULD AGREE THAT THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I LANDED LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT. SO I DO THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO OPEN IT UP AT ALL, IT WOULD BE ON THE DAYS AND JUST OPEN IT UP. BUT I WOULD I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A GOOD MIDDLE GROUND THAT ALL THE TIME ALLOWS GROUND FIREWORKS, THOUGH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPECIFY A DATE AND THAT YOU STILL HAVE THE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE BURN BAN.
AND WE STILL HAVE THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR AERIALS. AND WE ALSO PUT ON A GOOD SHOW WITH HILLTOP THAT I THINK THAT THE CALLS WILL GO DOWN, THE DEMAND WILL GO DOWN BECAUSE I ACTUALLY DO HEAR PEOPLE CLAMORING FOR FIREWORKS, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE CLAMORING FROM PLACES THAT AREN'T ALLOWED TO HAVE THEM ANYWAY. SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE A JUST A FUN THING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT. BUT I LIKE, I LOVE SHOOTING OFF A LITTLE FOUNTAIN ON THE DRIVEWAY. SO ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS. MINE ARE, I THINK YOU GUYS CAN GUESS WHERE MINE ARE RIGHT NOW. I THINK THE GROUND STUFF IS KIND OF FUN FOR KIDS. I GREW UP WITH SPARKLERS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE GREW UP WITH THAT STUFF. IT'S LOW RISK BUT HIGH PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, RIGHT? AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR JOBS IS TO PROTECT PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, PROTECT HOMES AND PROPERTY IN TOWN. SO THAT'S I'M FOR THE GROUND, THE AERIALS. I THINK WE SHOULD LEAVE TO THE BIG GUYS AND PERMITTED, ETC. WITH INSURANCE. AND WE WILL BE PARTICIPATING WITH HILLTOP NEXT YEAR. SO WE'VE ALREADY WITH THEM COMING INTO THE GROUND, THAT'S PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. WE WILL PARTICIPATE FINANCIALLY TO HELP WITH THAT. SO I'LL SAY THAT JUST SO YOU KNOW, LIKE WHERE YOUR. COMMONALITIES LAND, THAT IF WE COME UP WITH A REASONABLE ONE THAT LETS YOU DO THE LITTLE FUN STUFF AND THAT WE, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO PUT ON A FUN SHOW THAT I'M REALLY AMIABLE TO THAT. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO SO STAFF CAN HAVE SOME DIRECTION. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME, YOU KNOW, DATE OR DAYS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TOWNS THAT HOST FIREWORKS, RIGHT. ROANOKE, THEIR 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION IS ON A SATURDAY. THOSE NEAREST JULY 5TH. RIGHT. WOULD WE SET A DAY SO POLICE AND FIRE WOULD BE THAT ROANOKE IS ALWAYS ON THE THIRD I APOLOGIZE. YEAH, I'M ALWAYS ON THE FOURTH. OKAY. THERE'S A I WOULD JUST COMMENT.
THERE'S A THERE'S AN EXPECTATION, NO MATTER THE DAY OF THE WEEK THAT THERE'LL BE FIREWORKS ON THE FOURTH. OKAY. OR, OR NEAR THE FOURTH. AND IF YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A FOURTH ON A WEDNESDAY. WHICH, WHICH HOLIDAY DO YOU PICK? SO THAT'S, THAT'S A COMMENT ON US TRYING TO HELP YOU DRAFT AN ORDINANCE. WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO. HOW DO WE GET TO DRAFT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO NEED TO VOTE THIS THROUGH. SO WE NEED TO GIVE YOU A A TREE, IF YOU WILL, ON DECISION MAKING. SO WE'LL HAVE A AERIAL OR, OR NOT DAYS OF THE WEEK OR NOT. AND WE'LL BUT WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE AN ACTION ITEM AND WE'LL HELP YOU WORK THROUGH THAT. SO I WANT TO SEE IF WE COULD WORK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THAT RIGHT NOW, JUST TO HELP SOLIDIFY THINGS THERE. AND A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS. YEAH. WE YOU, YOU CANNOT SHOOT FIREWORKS IN THEIR CUL DE SAC. THAT'S TOWN PROPERTY. AND SO WE HAVE A, PROE NEIGHBORHOODS OF PEOPLE SITTING IN THEIR DRIVEWAY AND FIRE THEM OFF IN THE STREET. SO THAT'S, THAT'S STATE LAW. THAT'S WELL, IT'S IT'S, YEAH, IT'S, YOU COULD DEPENDING ON IF IT GOT AWAY FROM YOU, YOU COULD DAMAGE THE PAVEMENT. BUT IT'S ALSO LITTER. YEAH. BUT IT'S NOT YOUR
[00:30:02]
PROPERTY. AND THEN ANOTHER CONSIDERATION AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL HAPPEN OR NOT, BUT THERE MIGHT BE FIREWORK TOURISM. NOW HOW ARE THE OUR OFFICERS GOING TO DETERMINE IF I MEAN, IF YOU'RE IN YOUR BACKYARD, YOU, YOU IT SHOULD BE YOUR YARD, RIGHT? SO THEY'LL KNOW THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BACK THERE. BUT IF YOU IF YOU HAVE A LARGER FIELD, YOU KNOW, SO WE'LL HAVE TO DISCERN WHO IS COMING INTO TOWN IF WE CAN KEEP THEM OFF THE RIGHT OF WAY OR OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THAT WILL HELP US ENFORCE THAT. BUT DO WE DO WE ADD LANGUAGE FOR IT HAS TO BE ON YOUR ā OWN PRIVATE PROPERTY. THAT'S THE ASSUMPTION. SO MAYBE WE WE COULD CLARIFY THAT. AND I THINK THAT I'M ASSUMING THAT'S THE INTENT IS FOR THE PERSONAL FIREWORKS WILL BE IN YOUR IN YOUR PROPERTY AS CENTERED AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR PROPERTY. AND PROBABLY EVEN THOUGH IT'S ALREADY STATE LAW, IF WHEREVER WE LAND WITH IT HAVING A REMINDER THE SAME WAY THAT WE DID ABOUT ALL THE OTHER HOLIDAYS REMINDER STUFF, BUT HAVE A REMINDER THAT JUST REMINDER, YOU CAN'T DO IT IN THE STREET BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT UNTIL I SAID IT OUT LOUD IN THE LAST MEETING. RIGHT. WELL, JUST REMEMBER, I MEAN, NO OTHER TOWN IN NORTH TEXAS IS RIGHT NOW ALLOWS THEM. IF WE DO, YOU CAN EXPECT EVERY TOM, DICK, AND HARRY TO COME INTO NORTH LAKE AND START SHOOTING OFF FIREWORKS. SO. WELL, WE YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE THAT EXPECTATION. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO LOOK FOR TOOLS THAT WE CAN. IF THAT DOES HAPPEN, HOW WE CAN ENFORCE THAT. BUT WHERE WHERE WOULD THEY COME TO LIGHT THEM OFF? THEY'RE NOT COMING TO MY HOUSE TO LIGHT THEM OFF, NOT COMING TO. RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. THEY, THEY MIGHT DRIVE INTO THE TO SOMEBODY'S CUL DE SAC AND THEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE. SO THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IT CAN'T BE ON THE STREET. SO WE WE ENFORCE THAT. SO IF THEY'RE IN YOUR THEY'RE IN A CUL DE SAC AND SHOOTING OFF FIREWORKS AND YOU CALL THE POLICE, WE'LL GO OUT THERE AND, AND CITE THEM OR TELL THEM TO LEAVE. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. YEAH. TO HELP US DISCERN WHO'S SUPPOSED TO BE DOING IT AND NOT. BUT WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT THIS WAS MAYBE 2010, 2012 DROVE UP FLORENCE AND THERE'S A LITTLE GRASSY AREA AND THEY SHOT OFF. THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S RIGHT BEHIND MY HOUSE, THERE'S A CUL DE SAC THAT HAD HOMES STILL FRAMED AND DID IT IN THE CUL DE SAC. AND THOSE ARE ILLEGAL, BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE OTHER FIREWORKS IN PEOPLE'S PROPERTY. SO JUST TO HELP US DISCERN WHAT'S ALLOWED AND WHAT'S NOT ALLOWED WELL, AND DIDN'T WE ONLY HAVE AN ORDINANCE FOR FIREWORKS FROM 2018 TO 2022? YES. SO IN 2010 WE HAD THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DO IT ANYWAY. THEY STILL DID IT. EXACTLY. IT'S JUST TO HELP US DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN WHAT YOU WANT TO BE LEGAL AND WHAT'S ILLEGAL. SO IF THEY WERE TO BE LEGAL, IT MUST BE THE PROPERTY OWNER IF THAT'S WHAT IT GOT PAST HELPING US. YES, YES. DO WE GET ARE WE ALLOWED TO KNOW THE PREFERENCE OF OUR POLICE AND FIRE CHIEFS, WHAT THEIR PREFERENCE IS? FOR? WHATEVER YOUR DECISION IS, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO ASK THEM THEIR OPINION. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. WELL, AS SOON AS YOU SAID THAT AFTER OUR LAST MEETING, I SPOKE TO SOME FIRE DEPARTMENT INDIVIDUALS. I WON'T SAY THEIR NAMES. AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED ON HOW MUCH THEY DON'T MIND THEM AT ALL. AS A MATTER OF FACT, TWO OF THEM TOLD ME THEY WANT TO OPEN UP A FIREWORKS STAND SOME OTHER TOWNS. SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S EVERYBODY. I DID TALK TO THREE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, TWO DIFFERENT TOWNS AND INCLUDING OURS, AND THERE WAS NO ISSUES THERE WHATSOEVER. I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT WITH THE WITH THE DATES, I'M FLEXIBLE ON THE DATES. IF WE DECIDE ON ONE AND I'M FINE WITH NEW YEAR'S EVE, FINE WITH 4TH OF JULY. HOWEVER THAT GOES, I'M NOT. I THINK WE JUST NEED TO HAVE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS IN OUR POLICY. SO I JUST THINK I JUST EXPECT DEAN TO WORK HIS MAGIC WITH ALL THIS NONSENSE.WELL, AND I YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GIVE STAFF AS MUCH DIRECTION AS POSSIBLE. SO, I MEAN, CLEARLY THERE'S A VOTE, YOU KNOW, A VOTE WILL BE TO CHANGE IT OR NOT. RIGHT. AND THEN WE WILL FOCUS DOWN ON THINGS. I WAS JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY ANY THINGS. I'M OKAY WITH JUST SETTING A CALENDAR EACH YEAR, BEGINNING OF EACH YEAR OR WHATEVER, SAYING THAT FIREWORKS WILL BE, YOU KNOW, EITHER ON THE 4TH OF JULY, WE CAN LET THAT WAY IT'S DYNAMIC, RIGHT? HERE'S THE OFFICIAL DATE. HERE WE GO. IF WE DO GROUND VERSUS AERIAL, AND THIS MIGHT BE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION, THOUGH, IF AERIAL IS NOT ALLOWED IN NORTH LAKE, WE CAN DECLARE AERIALS A NUISANCE. YES OR NO. YES. YES. OKAY. SO THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION ABOUT SURROUNDING AREAS. ALL RIGHT. SO SHOULD SHOULD WE ALLOW STAFF TO MAKE UP THAT ORDINANCE WITH A TREE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO GO BRANCH DOWN STEP BY STEP BY STEP. OR DO WE WANT TO GIVE ANY CLARIFICATION. I'M OKAY WITH SETTING DAYS. I'M OKAY WITH SAYING GROUND OR AERIAL OR ALL, BUT I'M, I'M KIND OF HEARING THAT, WELL, I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME, BUT I'M KIND OF HEARING
[00:35:05]
THAT GROUND COULD FLY ABOUT NOW. GROUND CAN'T FLY. YEAH, I DID IT, I DID IT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AN A OR B ORDINANCE FOR THAT? WHEN WE VOTE FOR GROUND OR GROUND AND AERIAL OR JUST GROUND, OR ARE WE JUST DROPPED, I WOULD SUGGEST MAYBE GOING WITH GROUND AND AERIAL AND SEE HOW THAT VOTE DOES. AND IF THAT ONE DOESN'T, THEN THE NEXT OPTION, IF WE ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR GROUND ONLY VERSUS AERIAL, I JUST WANT TO GIVE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OUR RESIDENTS A CHANCE TO TO DO THIS TWICE A YEAR, REGARDLESS OF IF IT'S LARGE OR SMALL, WHATEVER, BECAUSE THAT'S THE COMPLAINTS I'VE HAD. THEY WANT TO CELEBRATE OUR COUNTRY. THEY WANT TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR. AND IN INSTANCES WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE FIREWORKS, FOR SOME REASON HERE, I THINK THEY NEED TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT ON THOSE DAYS. OKAY. SO DREW, I THINK YOUR YOUR POINT OF KIND OF A TREE MAKES SENSE. I, I ALMOST THINK BECAUSE CALENDARS CHANGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE ALMOST JUST EACH YEAR, THE ORDINANCE CAN READ EACH YEAR, TOWN COUNCIL WILL SET DAYS FOR ALLOWED. I THINK THAT WOULD. IT MAKES ONE MORE AGENDA STEP EACH YEAR. BUT AS THE FLAVOR OF THE COUNCIL CHANGES, IT, IT HELPS AND WE CAN TEST IT AS WELL. SO I'M OKAY WITH ONE DAY OR NOT. BUT THAT WEDNESDAY SCENARIO IS A TOUGH SCENARIO.SO ANYWAYS, WE CAN DO THAT. AND THEN I WOULD SAY JUST PHASE IT IN TWO STEPS AND HAVE A FILL IN LINE ON THE ORDINANCE FOR GROUND OR GROUND AND AERIAL. AND THEN AFTER THAT VOTE, THE NEXT MEETING, WE CAN DETERMINE IF NUISANCE STILL APPLIES. WILL THERE BE A PUBLIC INPUT? IS THAT LIKE I DON'T YEAH, THERE'S PUBLIC INPUT. THERE'S NO PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT. BUT PEOPLE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO COME SPEAK IF THEY CHOOSE. IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT DIRECTION? STAFF, PLEASE SPEAK UP IF YOU ARE NOT OKAY, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME ANYTHING.
IT'S A SENSITIVE TOPIC. SO. ALL RIGHT. DREW, YOU'RE GOOD. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT SO THAT WHEN WE GO WHEN WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS, IT'S IT'S CLEAR AS MUD.
SO. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU STAFF. THANK YOU CAPTAIN, AS WELL FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION
[2.C.Briefing - Resolutions for Texas Municipal League Legislative Agenda(Part 1 of 2)]
THIS EVENING. I APPRECIATE THAT. ALL RIGHT. NEXT RESOLUTIONS FOR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO THE TEXAS MAJOR YOUNGBLOOD, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FIRST, BUT THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, WHICH ADVOCATES ON BEHALF OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, HOST THEIR ANNUAL CONFERENCE EACH YEAR, A PART OF THAT, THEY ASK MUNICIPALITIES TO PROVIDE SOME PRIORITIES TO THEM. SO THEY THAT THAT THAT THAT THEY CAN DISCUSS DURING THAT CONFERENCE TO PROVIDE THAT MEMBER FEEDBACK, TO HELP THEM ACTUALLY ADVOCATE ON OUR BEHALF FOR THE UPCOMING STATE LEGISLATION SESSION. SO WITH THAT, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND OF HOW WE COME UP WITH THESE PARTICULAR PRIORITIES BASED ON THESE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR, STAFF WORKED WITH OUR TOWN MANAGER TO DETERMINE WHAT CHALLENGES AND WE HAVE AS A MUNICIPALITY AND WHAT IMPACTS POTENTIAL LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS IN THE PAST HAVE HAD ON US OR HAD THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE ON US IF THEY HAVE NOT YET PASSED IN PREVIOUS YEARS. SO OUR TOWN MANAGERS WORKED WITH OUR WITH MAYOR AND WITH OUR MAYOR PRO TEM TO FURTHER DETERMINE THOSE CHALLENGES AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS ON THE TOWN. SO WITH THAT, I HAVE A COUPLE A FEW DIFFERENT CATEGORIES HERE. SO THE FIRST ONE BEING OUR LAND USE AND ZONING CATEGORY. SO THAT ONE REALLY IS ASKING FOR CONSIDERATION TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS SMALL TOWNS LIKE OURS TO PRESERVE OUR UNIQUE TOWN APPEAL. SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A LOT OF THE STATE BILLS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED OR HAVE BEEN PROPOSED, LIKE SENATE BILL 840, HAS PROVIDED A PREMIUM, PREMIUM, PREMIUM. I CAN'T SAY THE WORD TODAY. PREEMPTION ON OUR ABILITY TO DECIDE WHERE WE WANT MULTIFAMILY TO GO WITHIN THE TOWN AND FOR MIXED USE AS WELL. SO WITH THAT BILL, IT PRIMARILY APPLIES TO OUR LARGER CITIES. SO THINK ABOUT OUR DALLAS OR HOUSTON'S. IT ESSENTIALLY ALLOWED FOR MULTIFAMILY TO DEVELOP AT ANY PLACE THAT THEY FEEL THAT THEY WANT TO PUT THAT PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT AS LONG AS IT WAS IN A LOCATION THAT'S ZONED AS COMMERCIAL OFFICE OR WAREHOUSE. SO WITH THAT, WE SAW SOME SIMILAR PROPOSALS THAT HAVE COME AFTER THAT. THAT SHOWS US THAT THERE'S A CONTINUING EFFORT ON THE STATE LEGISLATURE PART TO CONTINUE TO[00:40:06]
PREEMPT OUR LOCAL AUTHORITY, TO ALLOW FOR US TO PROTECT WHERE WE FEEL THAT CERTAIN MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS BELONG WITHIN THE TOWN LIMITS. SO RIGHT NOW, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY AFFECTING THE LARGER MUNICIPALITIES, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AHEAD TO MAKE SURE THAT TYPE OF PREEMPTION DOES NOT EVENTUALLY CARRY ITS WAY DOWN TO MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE SMALLER, LIKE US. THE SECOND MAJOR I JUST THE ORIGINAL BILL OF 840 DIDN'T HAVE A POPULATION BRACKET, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE OF MIDDLE AND SMALL SIZE TOWNS, IT GOT RAISED TO 150,000. THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT MIGHT BE LOWERED. BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S THE BACKGROUND ON 840.THE THE NICKNAME OF THAT BILL WAS APARTMENTS ANYWHERE. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY THAT WE MADE THEM CHANGE IT BECAUSE WE WERE SO CONVINCING. THAT ONE WAS GEORGETOWN HAD A BIG, BIG PLAY IN GETTING THE BRACKETING DONE FOR THAT. SO FOR THE SECOND ONE REALLY IS AROUND SUPPORTING THE LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS FOR US TO REQUIRE NEW DEVELOPMENT TO BEAR ITS SHARE OF THE PUBLIC COST FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE. WE'VE SEEN THROUGH PREVIOUS BILLS SUCH AS SENATE BILL 1883, WE'RE STARTING TO RESTRICT SOME OF THE ABILITY FOR US TO IMPLEMENT OUR FEE PROGRAMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR BILL, IT REALLY ALLOWED FOR THE STATE TO PUT IN PLACE A RESTRICTION THAT NOW REQUIRES MUNICIPALITIES TO PASS ITS IMPACT FEES WITH A MAJORITY VOTE. SO YOU NEED TWO THIRDS TO ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH A MUNICIPAL FEE. I GUESS, AGREEMENT OR ACCEPTANCE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON TO ENSURE THAT SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL PROPOSALS THAT YOU SEE WITH HOUSE BILL 5489 SIGNALS THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS A INTEREST IN CONTINUING TO LIMIT OUR FUNDING MECHANISMS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE NOT BEARING THE COST OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE ATTRACT, BUT WE'RE ALSO ENSURING THAT THE DEVELOPMENTS ARE SHARING THEIR APPROPRIATE COSTS AS WELL WHEN THEY'RE COMING TO THE TOWN. WE ALSO, WITH THAT ONE, HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MECHANISMS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE, THAT WE WORK WITH OUR DEVELOPERS. SO IF THEY ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HELP BUILD OUT SOME INFRASTRUCTURE, THEY DO RECEIVE CREDITS FOR THOSE THINGS AS WELL. SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF PUSHING A LITTLE BIT MORE TO KEEP OUR ABILITY LOCAL TO WORK BASED ON WHAT WORKS WITH US. CONSIDERING THAT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL IS NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT IS SUCCESSFUL. SO WITH THAT, NEXT CATEGORY IS AROUND THE ORDINANCE AND POLICY. SO WITH THAT, WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND SUPPORTING OUR LEGISLATION THAT PRESERVES OUR LOCAL DECISION MAKING FOR OUR SMALLER TOWNS.
THIS PARTICULAR BILL, HOUSE BILL 2127, WAS CALLED, I GUESS, NICKNAME AS THE OUR BILL. THESE BILLS WERE INTENDED TO PUT BROAD PRE EXEMPTION ON PREEMPTION ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS. THEY WERE REALLY AIMED MORE TOWARDS OUR LOCAL LIKE LARGER CITY GOVERNMENTS. WE HAD GOVERNMENTS, CITY GOVERNMENTS THAT WERE PUTTING IN PLACE, I GUESS, THEIR OWN ORDINANCES AROUND MANDATING HOW MANY HOURS OR WITHIN A WEEK THAT SOMEONE, A PRIVATE BUSINESS HAS TO ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, THEIR EMPLOYEES TO BE OFF. THEY WERE PUTTING IN ORDINANCES THAT ALLOW FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT JUST WERE NOT ALIGNED WITH THE STATE INTERESTS. AND SO NOT NECESSARILY SOME OF THOSE ARE BAD THINGS, BUT WHEN THEY ARE WHY, YOU KNOW, JUST SWEPT ACROSS ALL MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE STATE, THEY DO CONTAIN SOME LANGUAGE THAT CAN RESTRICT OUR ABILITY TO DO SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IN OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITY AS WELL. SO IT TIES US IN WITH SOME OF THOSE LARGER CITIES AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE MAY PUT IN PLACE OR CREATE ORDINANCES FOR, WE CAN'T DO NOW BECAUSE OF BILLS SUCH AS HOUSE BILL 2127. WE ALSO SEE IN THE PAST THERE WERE PASSED, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE FAILED BILLS THAT CAME FORTH IN THE PAST. THOSE BILLS ESSENTIALLY SORT OF ALONG THE SAME LINES. SOME WERE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT LANGUAGE IN THERE TO CARRY THROUGH. BUT WE HAVE SEEN ATTEMPTS TO COME BACK IN FURTHER, PUT DOWN ADDITIONAL REGULATORY REGULATIONS ON US TO BE ABLE TO MAKE ORDINANCES TO ENSURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR WILL BE DONE THROUGH THE POWER OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. WE ALSO PUT IN HERE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER SUPPORTING LEGISLATION THAT WILL REQUIRE LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS TO OFFER ANNUAL ELECTION SERVICE CONTRACTS FOR THE MAY ELECTIONS. THIS PARTICULAR BILL 89, HOUSE BILL 1968, WOULD HAVE. IT DIDN'T PASS. IT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE COUNTY ELECTION
[00:45:06]
OFFICIAL TO CONTRACT WITH MUNICIPALITIES LIKE OURSELVES. WE DO PUT A LOT OF OUR ISSUES ON THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT. HOWEVER, THAT PARTICULAR GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT TENDS TO BE LOADED WITH A LOT OF STATE LEVEL NATIONAL TYPE OF INTERESTS. AND SO IT'S EASILY OVERLOOKED BY A LOT OF OUR A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS WHEN IT COMES TO THE LOCAL ISSUES.SO HAVING OUR ELECTIONS ON THE MAY BALLOT ALLOWS FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO HAVE A MORE FRONT AND CENTER VIEW INTO THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS AND ISSUES. AND, AND IT GIVES IT THE ATTENTION THAT IT DESERVES. SO WITH THAT, WE'RE WE COULD WE COULD HOST OUR OWN ELECTIONS.
HOWEVER, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THEY TYPICALLY ARE COST PROHIBITIVE. AND ALSO THE COUNTY ALREADY HAS THE EXPERTISE AND THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THOSE, THOSE ELECTIONS AND A MORE IN A BETTER MANNER IN WHICH OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR ACROSS THE STATE, NOT JUST US THAT ARE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TRUST IN THEM SINCE THEY DO THESE ELECTIONS MORE FREQUENTLY THAN WHAT WE WOULD. OKAY. AND SO FOR A PUBLIC SAFETY, THIS IS REALLY SUPPORTING THAT LEGISLATION THAT PRESERVES OUR ABILITY TO FUND IT FOR FOR THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FOR THAT POINT. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE STATE PASSES BILLS THAT RESTRICT OUR REVENUE SOURCES, THAT IT'S CONSIDERED, THE MAJORITY OF OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE GOES TOWARDS FUNDING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESTRICTING OUR BILL, OUR ABILITY TO COLLECT REVENUE, IT'S A DIRECT CAUSE AND EFFECT ON HOW WE FUND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. SO IT CAN PUT US IN SOME PRETTY TIGHT PLACES FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ENSURING THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAFE AND THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS, THEIR MEET THEIR NEEDS, USING OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES. SO WE'VE SEEN SOME BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO REALLY TRY TO RESTRUCTURE HOW WE USE OUR REVENUE. EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, REQUIRING OUR TAX RATES TO BE NOT TAX RATES, I'M SORRY, REQUIRING FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO, TO ESSENTIALLY, WELL, REQUIRING FOR US TO ESSENTIALLY DO CERTAIN THINGS OR HAVE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON HOW WE WANT TO USE BONDS TO BASICALLY BUILD OUT SOME, SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THOSE ARE ALL SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IF WE'RE HAVING TO PUT MORE OF OUR REVENUE TO SUPPORT THOSE THINGS, IT MAY BE TAKING AWAY FROM OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO IF WE'RE HAVING TO GET MORE RESTRICTIVE ON OUR USE OF IT. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE KEY PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. SO I'D LOVE TO GET ANY FEEDBACK THAT YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING SOME OF THESE HERE. SO A BIG REASON FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, WE SOME OF US TALK TO OUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS OFTEN AND WHAT'S WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE, WHAT'S GOING TO AFFECT US. WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A LEGISLATIVE MEETING WITH SOME OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES HERE AS WELL, TO KIND OF SET STUFF IN THE OFF CYCLE HERE AS TO WHAT WE EXPECT AND ASK THEM WHAT ARE THEY SEEING THAT COULD AFFECT US AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE THE BILLS ON THE TABLE, BASICALLY. AND PEOPLE ARE SCURRYING AROUND, MAKING UP THEIR MINDS WITHOUT THOUGHT OR EVEN AFTER THOUGHT TO THE BECAUSE THE ISSUES ARE CAUSING WITH THAT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. SO I ASKED, I DID ASK STAFF TO BRING THESE AROUND. WE TALKED ABOUT A FEW OF THEM DIRECTLY, BUT I SAID, LET'S LET'S APPROACH THE LEGISLATIVE. THEY'VE BEEN UNDER ATTACK WITH NEGATIVE. DON'T DO THIS, DON'T DO THAT. SO I'VE ASKED STAFF TO KIND OF REWORD THINGS SHOWING THAT WE SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS. YOU KNOW, WE SUPPORT STUFF THAT DOES X, Y, AND Z AND HELPS THE SMALL TOWNS AND DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN THE SMALL TOWNS AND LARGE TOWNS IS, IS VERY CRITICAL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TOWNS LIKE KELLER AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THEY'RE NOT REALLY GROWING. THEY'RE BUILT OUT. RIGHT? IF WE HAD NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, WE COULD NOT HIRE MORE OFFICERS. WE COULD NOT HIRE MORE PUBLIC WORKS TO FILL THE GAP OF WHAT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT WITH INCREASED POPULATION. SO THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENTIATION EFFECT BETWEEN US AND THE BIG GUYS, AND HOW DO WE GET OUR REPS TO GO TO AUSTIN AND HELP MAINTAIN THE GROWTH OF OUR TOWN SO WE DON'T HIT A BRICK WALL ONE DAY? I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU GUYS FOR BEING SO RESPONSIBLE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF BEING RESPONSIBLE WITH OUR SPENDING, THIS COUNCIL, FORMER COUNCILS, WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB IN BEING RESPONSIBLE WITH THE TAX RATE THAT WE ARE, THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED, AND KEEPING SPENDING TO A MINIMUM AND RESPONSIBLE LEVEL. SO IS THERE ANYTHING IN THESE CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE THEY GET PUBLISHED THAT YOU WOULD EITHER LIKE TO ADD, HAVE RESEARCHED, OR JUST ANYTHING ELSE? THE DEADLINE IS NOT UNTIL NOVEMBER, SEPTEMBER 28TH, BUT WE'RE NOT MEETING AGAIN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24TH. SO WE HAVE A VERY SHORT WINDOW, AND WE NEED TO GO DOWN THERE AND DEFEND THEM BECAUSE WE DID THIS LAST
[00:50:04]
YEAR. BUT WE HAD A COUNCIL MEETING AND THEY SAID NORTH LAKE, NORTH LAKE, AND THEY THREW ALL OURS OUT. SO IN NOVEMBER, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE A COUNCIL MEETING SO WE CAN ACTUALLY GO DOWN THERE AND DEFEND THEM. SO THERE'S AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE AHEAD. BUT WE HAVE TIME. IF IF YOU'D LIKE TO TWEAK ANY OF THESE, WE CAN DO THAT SEPTEMBER 24TH. WE JUST NEED TO SEND IT TO THEM THAT. 25TH. SO THEY HAVE IT BY THE DEADLINE. BUT SO I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. I THINK I LIKE HOW YOU REWORDED IT TO SAY, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A GOOD RAPPORT AND GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH OUR LOCAL REPS. OUR LOCAL REPS ARE HARDLY EVER THE PROBLEM. LIKE MAYBE THEY VOTE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF HEARTBURN SOMETIMES, BUT THAT THE LEGISLATION IS BEING BROUGHT BY STATE REPS THAT ARE PRESSURED BY THINGS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH US. SO I AM GLAD THAT YOU THAT YOU WORDED IT THIS WAY TO BE A LITTLE MORE DIRECTIVE ON THIS IS WHAT WE DO SUPPORT. HOWEVER, WE CAN ADD LANGUAGE THAT. AND THERE'S THERE IS A LITTLE BIT IN THERE, BUT ADDING THE LANGUAGE FOR SUPPORT, CONSISTENTLY BRACKETING, ESPECIALLY PUNITIVE LEGISLATION, BECAUSE WHENEVER THERE'S LEGISLATION THAT COMES DOWN THE LINE, BECAUSE ONE TOWN OR A NUMBER OF TOWNS WERE FILLED WITH BAD ACTORS, THAT IT IT AFFECTS US. IT COSTS US MONEY TO HAVE OUR EMPLOYEES DO MORE STUFF. THE THING THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE BEFORE I WAS HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS A BORING THING THAT NOBODY EVER WANTS TO TALK ABOUT. WE GET. WE GET ALL RILED UP AND I TRY TO POST IT ON FACEBOOK OR SOMETHING, AND IT'S JUST A BORING THING THAT NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE STATE LEGISLATURE HANDCUFFS TOWN LOCAL AUTHORITY? WHAT THEY'RE REALLY DOING IS TAKING AWAY THE POWER OF THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED US. BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS, YEAH, SURE, YOU CAN GO TO THE YOU CAN GO TO THE BALLOT BOX AND VOTE AND ELECT SEVEN PEOPLE, BUT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING. THEY CAN'T BE IN CHARGE OF SPENDING. THEY CAN'T BE IN CHARGE OF TAXATION. THEY CAN'T BE IN CHARGE OF ALL THIS STUFF. SO AS MUCH AS I'D LOVE TO SAY SIT HERE AND LOOK PRETTY, THAT'S ONLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ELECTED HERE TO DO. SO I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. I AM, AND I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT I'M READY AND WILLING GETS MOST OF THE CREDIT HERE. OH, THEY WE JUST I HELP THEM WORDSMITH AND POLITICIZE. NO, Y'ALL ARE GREAT. GIVE US THE TOOLS TO GO AND FIGHT FOR THIS. ALSO, I'M SO THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE A STAFF THAT IS IN A TOWN MANAGER THAT ARE REALLY RESPONSIVE AND AWARE OF THIS STUFF BECAUSE IT MAKES SUCH WE'RE SO CLOSE TO LOSING WHAT ALLOWS US TO MAKE A TOWN REALLY LIVABLE AND, AND UNIQUE. THAT'S HAPPENING QUICKLY. SO WE, THE MAYOR AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM ARE GOING TO TRY TO MEET WITH EACH OF OUR REPS AND STATE SENATORS IS HELPING US TRACK THAT DOWN. AND WE'VE TEXTED THEM AND LIKE THE MAYOR SAYING, BE COLLABORATIVE. WHAT ARE YOU WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS SESSION? HERE'S HERE'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE. YOU KNOW, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. HERE'S WHAT WE'VE DONE. THE BRACKET PUNITIVE BRACKET IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WHEN THEY REWARD TOWNS, WHEN THEY GIVE THEM A SPECIAL FAVORS OR GIVE THEM A GRANT OR GIVE THEM SPECIAL LEGISLATION, THEY BRACKET IT. SO ONLY THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WANT TO GET IT, GET IT, IT DOESN'T APPLY TO THE WHOLE STATE. SO WHEN THEY'RE WHEN THEY'RE BEING GIVING BENEFICIAL LEGISLATION, IT'S BRACKETED. BUT WHEN THEY DO PUNITIVE LEGISLATION, IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD. NOW THEY HAVE STARTED DOING POPULATION BRACKETS WITH THAT MOST RECENT APARTMENTS ANYWHERE. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT THE MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM ARE GOING TO HAVE, IS ASK THAT QUESTION. AND IF IF THERE'S ANY ROOM, WE'LL COME WE'LL BRING IT BACK ON THE 24TH. WE'LL ADD IT TO THAT IF WE CAN. I DON'T I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW WE WOULD SAY THAT. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTEL ON WHY THEY I KNOW THAT I KNOW WHY THEY DO IT, BUT IT REMINDS ME WHEN I PLAYED FOOTBALL, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY'S OFFSIDES, THE WHOLE TEAM RUNS. BUT IF YOU DO A IF YOU HAVE A GOOD PLAY, YOU GET YOU GET JUST ONE PERSON GETS IT. SO YOU REWARD INDIVIDUALLY, YOU PUNISH COLLECTIVELY. SO I, I KNOW THAT'S WHY EVERYBODY RUNS WHENEVER THEY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. IT'S. IT GIVES US THE TOOLS. AS COUNCIL MEMBER HOLMES SAID, TO GO DOWN TO AUSTIN AND ADVOCATE FOR NORTHLAKE IN THE ENTIRE AREA, AND I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF OUR TOWN AS A WHOLE BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY ACTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT DO TAKE THE TIME TO GO DOWN THERE AND DO THAT. BUT IT WOULDN'T IT WOULDN'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'RE GIVING US TO DO THAT. SO TOGETHER IN THE COLLABORATION HAS JUST BEEN A GREAT, A GREAT ASSET TO OUR TOWN. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEAH, WE WE REALLY ENJOY PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, Z INCLUDED. AND I HAVE SOME OF THOSE IN MY OFFICE AS WELL WITH[00:55:01]
MY STAFF TO HELP PUT TOGETHER SOME OF THIS. AND SO IT IS SOMETHING NEAR AND DEAR TO TRACK THESE BILLS. IT'S A LOT. IT COULD BE A LOT AS YOU'RE WATCHING IT COME OUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY BILLS THAT ARE PUT OUT EACH YEAR AND TO KIND OF GO BACK AND FIGURE OUT WHICH ONES ARE COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAD A CHANCE THAT MAY COME BACK AROUND. WE TRY TO CATCH THOSE AND, YOU KNOW, PUT IT BACK IN FRONT OF YOU ALL. SO YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. SO DREW, WHEN DO THEY START PRE FILING BILLS FOR THE SESSION. 60 DAYS OUT.YEAH YEAH YEAH. WE GOT SOME TIME. BUT I'LL I'LL I'LL EMAIL COUNCIL. WE'LL GET YOU THE EXACT DATE. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH MAJOR.
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT. IT IS 6:26 P.M. WE HAVE PUBLIC INPUT TODAY. WOULD ANYBODY LIKE
[3.PUBLIC INPUT ]
TO COME SPEAK, MR. CALLAHAN? COME ON UP. HELLO. MAKE SURE YOU TURN IN YOUR PAPER THERE, OR Z WILL COME GET YOU. THEY ALWAYS TELL ME IF YOU START WITH A GOOD STORY. WHATEVER YOU SAY. AFTER THAT, PEOPLE HAVE A TENDENCY TO REMEMBER. FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE FROM CALIFORNIA, AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT FIREWORKS, THERE WEREN'T ANY FIREWORKS. YOU DIDN'T. MOST CITIES OUTLAWED IT AND YOU JUST DIDN'T DO IT. THE RISK OF FIRE WAS SO GREAT. BUT 20 YEARS AGO, I VERY WONDERFUL NEBRASKA LADY WHO TOOK ME TO NEBRASKA ON THE 4TH OF JULY, AND THEY ALLOW FIREWORKS. THEY ALLOW THESE THINGS CALLED THOSE MORTARS. AND IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN ONE GO OFF, IT'S JUST LIKE THE WORLD WAR TWO MOVIES. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. I SPENT ABOUT $200 ON THOSE THINGS. ALL WAS GOING GREAT TILL ONE OF THEM TIPPED OVER, SHOT OUT, SHOT INTO MY MOTHER IN LAW'S FLOWERBED, AND BLEW UP IN MY ABILITY TO SET OFF MORTARS. AFTER THAT WAS SEVERELY LIMITED. SO I DO ENJOY FIREWORKS, BUT WE'VE WE'VE SAT IN HERE AND YOU'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THEIR FREEDOM BEING CURTAILED. IF WE DON'T ALLOW FIREWORKS, WE LISTEN TO SOME PEOPLE THAT HAD SOME VERY PASSIONATE PLEAS THAT WE DON'T DO THAT AS A CITY.SOME OF THE EXAMPLES WERE A LITTLE FAR OUT FOR ME, BUT I AGREE THAT WE DON'T WANT TO LIMIT ANY FREEDOMS UNLESS IT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. THERE'S AN OLD ADAGE, MY FREEDOM STOPS AT YOUR NOSE. AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AERIAL FIREWORKS, I'M GETTING RIGHT CLOSE TO YOUR NOSE. SO I DO SUPPORT THE BAN ON AERIAL FIREWORKS. I DON'T WANT TO SEND ANYBODY'S FIELD ON FIRE. I DON'T WANT MY HOUSE TO CATCH FIRE. OR FOR MY WIFE'S FLOWER BED TO CATCH FIRE. SO I THINK THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD BAN TO ADD INTO HERE. I THINK FIREWORKS IN THE BACKYARD ARE FINE. SPARKLERS OR WHATEVER ARE FINE. AERIAL FIREWORKS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE WE LIVE IN IN, IN THE RIDGE. JUST, JUST CRAZY TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. AS FAR AS THE DATES GO, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS I MIGHT MAKE THERE IS YOU SET THE DATE AS JULY 4TH, UNLESS THE COUNCIL AUTHORIZES A DIFFERENT DATE, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON IT EVERY YEAR IF THE FOURTH IS THERE. BUT YOU GET THE OPTION TO CHANGE THAT DATE. THAT'S MY BIT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? THANK YOU FOR THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS. OKAY. YOU ARE ALWAYS SUCH A GOOD VOICE. THANK YOU.
ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK TONIGHT? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ON MR. WILEY'S BEHALF TONIGHT OR JUST HERE VISITING WITH US? VISITING? I DON'T THINK THE CAMPAIGN SPEECHES ARE ALLOWED IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT, SO. OKAY. BUT IT'S A PUBLIC COMMENT. WE CAN WE CAN RECOGNIZE ANYTHING YOU WISH UP TO THREE MINUTES. SO. OR SAY IF SOMEBODY RUNNING FOR COUNTY COMMISSION, YOU CAN TELL THEM THAT THEY ARE. IN WHICH CASE I'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY. ALL RIGHT. MAKE SURE YOU FILL OUT A FORM BEFORE YOU LEAVE AND GIVE IT TO Z RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN SPEAK AFTERWARDS. WE'LL DO. WELL, I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT DAVID WILEY IS STILL RUNNING.
HE IS THE GOP NOMINEE FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, AND HE'D LIKE TO THANK MR. MONTINI, AS WELL AS COUNCILWOMAN HOLMES, FOR THE CONTINUED ENDORSEMENTS. THANK YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MAKE SURE YOU GET ONE OF THOSE FORMS AND GET UP TO Z BEFORE YOU LEAVE TONIGHT.
THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC INPUT AND WE
[2.C.Briefing - Resolutions for Texas Municipal League Legislative Agenda(Part 2 of 2)]
HAVE CONSENT ITEMS TONIGHT. WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO ITEM TWO. C PRE FILING DATE IS NOVEMBER 9TH 2026, WHICH IS 60 DAYS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION.[4.CONSENT ITEMS]
OKAY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. CONSENT ITEMS FOUR ITEMS. THEY'VE ALL BEEN TALKED ABOUT[01:00:05]
BEFORE. CONSIDER. OR DOES ANYBODY WANT TO PULL. DOES ANYBODY FORESEE ANY CHANGES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BRING FOR THE PRIORITIES. BECAUSE THERE IS A ITEM C ON HERE FOR ADOPTING THE PRIORITIES THAT WE SAW TONIGHT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM LEAVING THEM AS IS. SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION FOR ALL OR PULL AN ITEM, THAT'S UP TO YOU ALL. I'LL MAKE A MOTION. SINCE I TALKED AND MADE US RUN ALONG, I'D LIKE TO MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS AS PRESENTED. MOTION FOR MISS HOLMES. I'LL SECOND. SECOND FROM MR. PIZZUTO.CONSENT ITEMS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY. ALL RIGHT, GET YOUR HATS OUT, FOLKS. WE GOTTA CHANGE OUR POSITION SEVERAL TIMES TONIGHT. I'M GOING TO TEMPORARILY RECESS THE TOWN
[5.TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER ONE BOARD MEETING ]
COUNCIL MEETING, AND WE ARE GOING TO CONVENE INTO A MEETING OF THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, NUMBER ONE, BOARD. AND FIRST, WE HAVE PUBLIC INPUT. THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN. TONIGHT I GOT PUBLIC INPUT FOR TERMS NUMBER ONE OPEN. WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK ON TERMS NUMBER ONE. SEEING NONE I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC INPUT. NEXT ITEM IS CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM BASICALLY LAST YEAR AND APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AGO. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MEETING MINUTES? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL RIGHT. AND DO WE HAVE ANY PRESENTATION ON THE BUDGET? I THINK WE'VE LIKELY BEEN THROUGH IT. SO ITEM D IS CONSIDERED APPROVAL OF THE TOUR'S NUMBER ONE, WHICH AFFECTS CANYON FALLS. PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2627. YEAH. IF YOU GO ONE MORE SLIDE THERE'S SOME NUMBERS. REVENUES. YEAH. WELL LET'S SEE. ALL RIGHT. SO WE GOT REVENUES OF 522 K AND PROPERTY TAX EXPENDITURES 629 K AND SOME BASIC EXPENSES OUT OF THERE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR'S[5. VOTE]
BUDGET. I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. MOTION FOR MYSELF.SECOND FOR MAYOR PRO TEM LAWRENCE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUS. WITH NO FURTHER ITEMS TO CONTINUE THE. TO CONSIDER THE TAX TERMS. NUMBER ONE BOARD WILL ADJOURN THE
[6.TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER TWO BOARD MEETING ]
MEETING AND NUMBER TWO WILL NOW CONVENE PUBLIC INPUT FOR TERMS NUMBER TWO. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC INPUT. MEETING MINUTES APPROVAL. DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THAT?[6. VOTE]
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION FROM MAYOR PRO TEM LAWRENCE. DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND FOR MR. PROSCIUTTO? DREW'S GETTING UP. NO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, MOTION CARRIES. UNANIMOUS. NEXT IS TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF REVISED EXHIBIT G. ONE MAP OF THE WATER IMPROVEMENTS FOR TOURS. NUMBER TWO, FINAL PROJECT AND FINANCIAL PLAN. WALK YOU THROUGH THIS REAL QUICK. SO THE THE ORIGINAL TOURS MASTER PLAN HAD THE WATER LINE KIND OF DOING A COMPLETE LOOP AROUND THE PROPERTY. SOME OF THE WELL, ACTUALLY AN INTERNAL WATER LINE.AND THEN OTHER DEVELOPERS DO A LOOP. SINCE THE LOCATION OF THE WATER TOWER. AND LOOKING AT HOW THIS BACKS UP TO THE RAILROAD, AND THERE'S ALREADY A WATER LINE HERE, HERE, THERE'S NOT THE NECESSITY TO PUT THAT WATER LINE ALL THE WAY ON THAT. AND SO THIS ACTUALLY LOOPS IT WITH THE NEW WATER TOWER. SO THE ENGINEERS HAVE LOOKED AT THIS A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT USE OF THAT.
IT ACTUALLY REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF PIPE THAT NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED. AND IT HELPS US GET OVER ACROSS 156 A LITTLE QUICKER. SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THAT'S A BREAKDOWN OF HOW THAT CHANGED. SO THIS ONE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. YOU HAVE AN ACTION TO CHANGE THAT PLAN, AND THEN THERE'LL BE THE BUDGET BUDGET AFTER THAT. SO THANK YOU. IF THOSE IN AUSTIN ARE LISTENING, SEE WE'RE SAVING SOME MONEY. ALRIGHT. DO I HAVE A MOTION ON ITEM D TO REVISE THIS EXHIBIT? MOTION APPROVED FOR MISS HOLMES. SECOND. SECOND FROM MISTER PIZZUTO. MOTION CARRIES.
[01:05:13]
UNANIMOUS. AND WITH THAT REVISED REVISION NOW DONE. DO I HAVE MOTION? CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION APPROVED FROM MR. FOWLER. I'LL SECOND.SECOND FROM MISS HOLMES. I'M SORRY, MAYOR PRO TEM LAWRENCE, I'M ON REPEAT HERE. I'M GOING TO GET SMACKED FOR THAT ONE LATER. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUS WITH NO FURTHER ITEMS. CONSIDER
[7.TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER THREE BOARD MEETING]
TERS NUMBER TWO. BOARD WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING AND WE WILL NOW CONVENE IN DETERS NUMBER THREE. ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE PUBLIC INPUT. I DON'T EXPECT ANYBODY TO JUMP UP HERE, BUT WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AS AFFORDED BY YOUR RIGHTS. SEEING NONE. MOVING ON, CONSIDER[7. VOTE]
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES. DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION. MR. FOWLER. AND A SECOND TO MAYOR PRO TEM LORENZ. SECOND. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUS. ALL RIGHT. AND NOW THE TOUR'S LIFESTYLE BUDGET. OUR 35114 LIFESTYLE CENTER BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR. GREAT.YES. THAT'S CORRECT. ITEM D. DO I HAVE A MOTION? MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION APPROVED FOR MR. FOWLER. FOR WHATEVER IT IS. SECOND. SECOND. ALRIGHT. MISS HOLMES IS A SECOND. ALRIGHT.
SEVEN. YEAH, YEAH. MOTION CARRIES. UNANIMOUS WITH NO FURTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER. TERS NUMBER THREE, BOARD HAS ADJOURNED ITS MEETING AND NOW WE'RE BACK TO OUR REGULARLY
[8.A.Consider adoption of an Ordinance, of the Town Council of the Town of Northlake, Texas, adopting the Proposed Budget and Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 beginning on October 1, 2026, and ending on September 30, 2027, for the Town of Northlake; Northlake Public Improvement District No. 2 (The Highlands); Tax Increment Financing Zone No. 1 (TIRZ No.1 - Canyon Falls); Tax Increment Financing Zone No. 2 (TIRZ No.2 - North Industrial Speedway); and Tax Increment Financing Zone No. 3 (TIRZ No.3 - 35W/114 Lifestyle Center)]
SCHEDULED PROGRAMING. ALRIGHT, EIGHT ACTION ITEMS. SO THIS IS GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THIS.THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE PART WITH ALL THE SPECIAL LANGUAGE. AND WE'LL TRY TO JOHN WILL TRY TO EXPLAIN. WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING VERSUS WHAT THE LEGISLATURE WOULD HAVE US SAY.
OKAY, WE'LL HAVE ONE QUICK MORE ONE MORE QUICK FUN RUN THROUGH OF THE THE BUDGET. SO NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE LAST TIME WE PRESENTED A WEEK AGO, GENERAL FUNDS STILL LOOKING AT 15.16 MILLION FOR REVENUES, 15.11 MILLION FOR EXPENDITURES WITH 48,000 ROUGHLY IN REVENUES EXCEEDING EXPENDITURES. JUST TO LOOK AT THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, WE'RE EXPECTING ABOUT AN 8% GROWTH. AND DUE TO THE GROWTH IN THE PROPERTY TAX BASE, PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY NEW VALUES GOING FROM 10.7 TO 11.6 AND STAYING AT THAT .295 TAX RATES. THE UTILITY FUND IS PROJECTED TO HAVE 31.5 MILLION IN REVENUES, 29.7 MILLION IN EXPENSES, AND THEN ENDING CASH RESERVES OF ABOUT 12.8 MILLION. THAT'LL BE 43% OF OUR OPERATING COSTS, PUSHING TOWARDS THAT GOAL OF 50%. PERSONNEL COSTS HAVE NOT CHANGED 10.9 MILLION SPLIT AMONG OUR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. THAT INCLUDES DEBT PLANS, COLA MARKET ADJUSTMENTS AND INCREASES THAT ARE JUST BEING DRIVEN BY INCREASED COSTS FOR SERVICES AND PROVIDING SERVICES TO AN INCREASING POPULATION. AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, FIVE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WITH FOUR OF THOSE IN POLICE AND ONE OF THOSE WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND TWO OF THOSE POSITIONS, THE PATROL OFFICER AND MAINTENANCE WORKER, HAVE BEEN MOVED TO MIDYEAR HIRES TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS THAT WE'VE SEEN RELATED TO INCREASES IN HEALTH CARE. INTERNAL SERVICES IS ALSO REMAINING THE SAME FROM THE LAST TIME WE PRESENTED. SO 1.1 MILLION FOR TECHNOLOGY, 1.3 MILLION FOR EQUIPMENT, LARGELY DRIVEN BY $1 MILLION WORTH OF REPLACEMENTS, WITH 710,000 OF THAT BEING THE SEWER VAC TRUCK THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS REQUESTING BEING REPLACED. AND THEN OUR BUILDING SERVICES ACTUALLY TICKED DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT AT 1.1 MILLION, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE ANY MAJOR RENOVATION PROJECTS, HERE'S A LIST OF THAT EQUIPMENT. ONCE AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE A REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT IS THE BULK OF IT, AND THEN 268,000 RELATED TO NEW NEW PURCHASES OF EQUIPMENT. AND THEN FINALLY OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS AND DEBT. WE ARE ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC THAT OUR PROJECTS WILL PROGRESS ON TIME. THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. SO THIS IS MORE OF A UP TO AMOUNT THAT IS LIKELY TO CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BASED ON SCHEDULES AND TIMING, BUT 48.2 MILLION IN CAPITAL PROJECTS WITH 15.8 MILLION GOING TO ROAD, 16.2 MILLION FOR WATER AND SEWER AND 16.2 MILLION FOR BUILDING ANOTHER. AND THEN OUR CURRENT DEBT SERVICE FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR IS 13 MILLION. AND THEN, AS ALWAYS, THE
[01:10:01]
PROPOSED BUDGET BOOK CAN BE FOUND ONLINE. FOR ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AND EXAMINE IN MORE DETAIL. SO ANY QUESTIONS, GO BACK TO THE ITEM. ALL RIGHT. SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY, HEY, YOU, YOU HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LOWER TAXES. VALUES WENT UP, AND THAT'S WHAT THE LEGISLATURE WOULD LOVE US TO DO. BUT AS A GROWING TOWN, WE NEED MORE POLICE OFFICERS. WE NEED THE PUBLIC SERVICE STUFF. SO IN A LONG STANDING TRADITION, RIGHT, WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP TAX RATES AT 29.5, AS WE HAVE FOR A LONG TIME. THERE WILL BE A TIME IN OUR FUTURE WHERE WE WILL HIT NO NEW REVENUE, AND WE WILL HAVE TO ABIDE BY THAT. BUT UNTIL WE'RE KIND OF BUILT OUT, IT'D BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT WITHOUT CUTTING POLICE, WHICH IS OUR NUMBER ONE BUDGET ITEM. SO I APPRECIATE WHAT THE LEGISLATURE IS TRYING TO DO. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF WE DON'T FUND OUR TOWN APPROPRIATELY, OUR TOWN WILL GO DOWNHILL VERY QUICKLY. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE ANY MOTIONS? AND THEY MUST BE READ ACCORDINGLY. I AM DONE WITH THAT ONE. I'LL TAKE ONE ITEM A I MOVE TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE[8.A.VOTE]
AS PRESENTED. ADOPTING AND APPROVING THE 2026 2027 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET TO BE ATTACHED AS EXHIBIT A TO SAID ORDINANCE. DO I HAVE A SECOND SECOND MOTION FOR MYSELF? SECOND FROM MR. FOWLER. MOTION CARRIES. UNANIMOUS. HI. HEY. I'M BACK. OKAY, SO IN ADDITION TO YOUR[8.B.Consider adoption of an Ordinance, of the Town Council of the Town of Northlake, Texas, accepting and approving the update of the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Service and Assessment Plan and an updated assessment roll for The Highlands Public Improvement District in compliance with Chapter 372 ]
TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONES, ONE OF THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE IS THE HIGHLANDS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. SO THAT WAS ESTABLISHED, I BELIEVE, ROUGHLY ABOUT TEN, 11 YEARS AGO. WE'RE ABOUT ALMOST WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE TIMELINE FOR THIS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. BUT STATE LAW DOES REQUIRE THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVE THE ASSESSMENTS THAT ARE PART OF THE SERVICE ASSESSMENT PLAN THAT COUNCIL ADOPTED WITH THE INITIATION OF THIS DISTRICT. THE ASSESSMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 WERE 1311 CENTS PER ACRE, AND THE 2027 PROPOSED IS $1,311.97 PER ACRE, AND THAT IS ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR THE HIGHLANDS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. THERE'S NO QUESTIONS.[8.B.VOTE]
I'LL TAKE MOTIONS. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED. ACCEPTING AND APPROVING THE UPDATE OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027 SERVICE AND ASSESSMENT PLAN AND AN UPDATED ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR THE HIGHLANDS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IN COMPLIANCE WITH CHAPTER 372. I WILL SECOND THAT MOTION. MOTION CARRIED. WHAT? THERE'S SEVEN OF US. WHAT HAPPENED THERE? WAS THERE ABSTAIN? YES. THIS. OH, I'M NOT ON THERE. THANK YOU. OUT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE RECORD IS RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN. OUR PLAN TO OUR PLAN TO KICK HER OUT DIDN'T WORK. YEAH. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUS 7 TO 0. ALL[8.C.Consider adoption of an Ordinance, of the Town of Northlake, Texas, fixing and levying municipal ad valorem taxes on all taxable property within the corporate limits of the Town of Northlake, Texas for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2026, and ending September 30, 2027, at the rate of $0.295000 per one hundred dollars ($100.00) and for directing the assessment thereof; providing for a date on which such taxes become due and delinquent together with penalties and interest thereon; providing for a place of payment; providing for approval of the tax rolls presented to the Town Council i. Public Hearing ii. Consider Approval]
RIGHT, ITEM C. OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO DISCUSSING THE TAX RATE. SO AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, THE TOWN IS PROPOSING MAINTAINING THE 29.5 CENT TAX RATE THE TOWN HAS KEPT FOR AT LEAST 25 PLUS YEARS NOW, WHICH IS AN IMMENSE ACCOMPLISHMENT. IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE SAME RATES, ESPECIALLY WITH GROWTH. BUT THAT RATE SHOULD THAT RATE IS WILL HELP PROVIDE THE FUNDING THAT WE NEED FOR THE FISCAL 20 FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET OR SORRY, 2027 BUDGET AND THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, YOU CAN SEE THERE IS 0.27. THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE IS 0.29. AND THEN THE DE MINIMIS RATE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE UTILIZING TO REACH THAT 29.5 CENT IS WHAT WE'LL BE PROPOSING. AND THAT'S PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE. AND THAT SHOULD RAISE 870,000. I THINK THE MILLION GOT SWITCHED OUT FOR THE FOR THE K 870 MILLION OR 8.11% INCREASE. LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED RATE ITSELF, THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN. YOU CAN SEE. I'LL JUST NOTE THAT OUR DE MINIMIS KEEPS CREEPING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THAT OF VOTER APPROVAL RATES. AT SOME POINT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT WHAT WE GET OUT OF THE DE MINIMIS IS EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN THE VOTER APPROVAL, JUST BASED ON HOW THE TAX RATE CALCULATION WORKS. BUT CURRENTLY IT'S STILL ABOVE, AND WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT WITH OUR SIZE BEING UNDER 3000.THE PROPOSED RATE ITSELF IS BROKEN DOWN INTO OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE,
[01:15:03]
WHICH IS ABOUT $0.15, ALMOST 16. AND THEN OUR DEBT RATE, WHICH COVERS OUR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS. AND THAT IS $0.13 ALMOST MOVING UP TOWARDS 14. SO MAKES UP 47% OF OUR RATE IS DEBT, 53% IS FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS. AND I BELIEVE ON THE. MOTION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO READ, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS IS A TAX RATE OR AS A TAX INCREASE OF 8.32%. IT'S NOT WE'RE NOT RAISING THE RATES. IT'S JUST MORE IN REFERENCE IN THIS SPECIFIC INSTANCE TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NO NEW REVENUE RATES AND THE RATE WE ARE ADOPTING. SO IT IS AN INCREASE FROM THE NO NEW REVENUE RATES, BUT WE'RE MAINTAINING THE EXACT SAME TAX RATE THAT WE HAVE FOR 25 PLUS YEARS. SOMETHING INTERESTING IS EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT TAX RATE RIGHT NOW. ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS WROTE PUBLICLY SOMEWHERE ABOUT HOW MUCH PROPERTY VALUE HAS GONE UP, HOW MUCH THE TAX RATE AND WE NEED TO LOWER TAXES, ETC. AND LAST FIVE YEARS, I ACTUALLY RAN A STUDY ON HIS HOME. IF WE HAD NOT DONE HOME HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS A FEW YEARS BACK LIKE WE HAD, WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT $350 INCREASE OVER FIVE YEARS. ONLY $177 INCREASE IN FIVE YEARS FOR A LONG STANDING PROPERTY IN NORTH LAKE. AND OUR COST OF OUR POLICE HAVE GONE UP WAY MORE THAN THAT PERCENTAGE IN THOSE YEARS. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT THE COUNCIL HAS DONE. AND WITH ALL THE MASSIVE INCREASES THAT PEOPLE HAVE SEEN, $177 TO SUPPORT THE ROADS AND THE POLICE IN THIS TOWN, I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT LOW NUMBER. AND IT'S NOT SOME LITTLE SHACK, IT'S NOT A CHEAP LITTLE HOUSE SOMEWHERE. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT. SO WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN FOR MOTIONS OR ANY DISCUSSION.I'M SORRY. PUBLIC HEARING, SIR. OH, I EVEN HIGHLIGHTED THAT AND I MISSED IT BECAUSE IT IS TAX RATE. WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. SO THANK YOU FOR NOT MAKING MOTIONS. FIRST, IT IS OFFICIALLY 6:47 P.M. AND IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON PUBLIC HEARING FOR SETTING THE TAX RATE? I GOT THROUGH ALL THOSE TOURIST BOARDS, MEETINGS AND MESSED UP ON THE PUBLIC HEARING. TAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF. THERE WAS A LIE, ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:48 P.M. AND I WILL TAKE MOTIONS AT THIS POINT. MOTION
[8.C.VOTE]
THAT WE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE MAY BE WILL BE INCREASED BY THE TAX RATE OF MICROPHONES OFF.SORRY. MAKE YOU DO IT AGAIN. OKAY. I'M MOVING THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF 0.295000, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY AN 8.23% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. I'LL SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION FROM DOCTOR SESSIONS AND A SECOND FROM MAYOR PRO TEM LORENTZ. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUS. AND BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE WANTS YOU TO MAKE
[8.D.Consider adoption of an Ordinance of the Town of Northlake, Texas, ratifying a property tax increase reflected in the Town of Northlake budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026 and ending September 30, 2027, in accordance with Texas Local Government Code Section 102.007; providing for repeal; providing for severability; and providing an effective date ]
SURE THAT YOU DID THIS, JOHN, WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO DO NEXT? THEY'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO RATIFY WHAT YOU JUST APPROVED. SO JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART IN THE LAST 20S. SO AS MENTIONED, THE STATE LEGISLATURE REQUIRES THIS LANGUAGE AND REQUIRES THIS RATIFICATION VOTE OF THE PROPERTY TAX. ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT RAISING THE TAX RATE AT ALL.THE TAX RATE IS STAYING THE SAME AS IT HAS FOR 25 AND 25 PLUS YEARS. BUT WE WILL SEE AN ADDITIONAL 870,000, OR AN 8.11% INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUES, MAINLY DRIVEN BY NEW
[8.D.VOTE]
VALUES. ALL RIGHT. I MOVE TO RATIFY THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, AS REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 TO 2027. KNOWING THAT IS NOT ACTUALLY AN INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND MOTION FOR MYSELF. SECOND FROM MAYOR PRO TEM LORENTZ. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUS 7 TO 0. AND WITH THAT WE DO NOT EXPECT ANY ACTIONS FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT, THOUGH THERE IS ALWAYS A SMALL POSSIBILITY. SO THAT'S WHY WE[9.EXECUTIVE SESSION]
ANNOUNCE IT THIS WAY UNDER AT 6:49 P.M. UNDER SECTION 551071551072551087. YOU THINK I'D HAVE THOSE MEMORIZED BY NOW? WE WILL CONVENE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH HOPEFULLY NO ACTIONS COMING OUT TONIGHT. AND IF WE SEE YOU ON THE[10. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION]
[01:20:07]
IT IS 7:45 P.M. WITH NO ACTION FROM EXECUTIVE* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.